The family of the owners of the lost dog that Jacquelyn Watts died trying to retrieve has released a statement. Authorities believe that Watts was chasing down the animal, named “Ringo,” along the Flatrock River when she entered the water and drowned. Watts’ body was found Saturday morning on a sandbar just south of the river’s overhead dam in Columbus. Ringo’s body was discovered the following day, on the bank of the river.

The family’s statement reads:

“We are deeply saddened by the terrible accident that took the life of Jacquelyn (Kleine) Watts. We will be forever grateful to Jackie for being so brave when trying to save Ringo. We understand why she did it. Jackie’s passion was to rescue animals in need, Ringo himself was a rescued dog.

Ringo was a very special dog. His family found him five years ago roaming the streets and took care of him, as they have done with several other dogs. His owner is also dedicated to saving stray dogs and placing them in homes where they can live a better life surrounded by love. Ringo was a best friend to us and took care of his human brother and sister on endless nights. He loved his family and his family loved him back.

Jackie’s death will not go unnoticed. Without knowing her in person, she has already changed our lives, and many others, for the better.

Our hearts and prayers go out to Jackie and her family. They will always hold a special place in our hearts.

The family requests privacy at this time.”

A driver of a van collided with a ColumBUS Friday afternoon, injuring several people.

Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus police, says that 22-year-old Jordan Patterson was headed south on Lindsey Street at almost 6 p.m. Friday evening, when he ran a red light and hit a bus at Eighth Street. The bus was being driven by 46-year-old Randall Clark of Jonesville.

Three people in the van, including Patterson, were taken to Columbus Regional Hospital to be treated for cuts and scrapes. A passenger on the bus was also taken to the hospital with head injuries, Harris said.

Both vehicles were heavily damaged and had to be towed from the scene.

A Columbus man was arrested early this morning after allegedly holding a knife to a victim’s head during an argument with a woman.

Police were called to the 4600 block of Breckenridge Drive at about 12:10 a.m. Wednesday on a report that a man was kicking a door down. When officers arrived, the man had already left the area. A woman told Columbus police officers that an intoxicated man had held a 7-inch knife to her head, cutting her, says Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus police.

A police dog tracked down a suspect and police found a man running in the shadows behind a mobile home.  After the suspect refused to stop, police unleashed the dog and 41-year-old James E. Bowling was caught, Harris says.

Bowling was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital to be treated for a dog bite to the leg, and then to the county jail on preliminary charges of battery, criminal confinement, intimidation with a deadly weapon, interfering with the reporting of a crime and resisting law enforcement.

North Vernon Police are investigating the discovery of a body Tuesday afternoon. The department says that officers were called to the bridge on North State Street just before 5 p.m. where they found the body of a man under the bridge. Police say that the body was there for several hours and that foul play is not expected. They did say that there was evidence of drug use at the scene.

Police say that the investigation is ongoing and that the identity of the man has not been released, pending notification of the family.

The United Way of Bartholomew County held their annual meeting yesterday. Kyle Hendricks, marketing and communications coordinator for the organization, says this event is the one day every year where the spotlight can be shone on those who give to their community.

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Hendricks talks about those who were honored during the event.

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Hendricks talks more about the “Live United Award.”

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Mark Stewart, organization president, talked about the goals of the United Way over the next year..

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The Ivy Tech Community College Student Government Association has announced a community-wide indoor yard sale to raise money to help fellow students in need.

Organizers say the Ivy Tech Columbus SGA indoor yard sale will be Saturday, March 25th from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. inside of Poling Hall on the school’s campus. Vendors and artisans are welcome. Spaces are available for $10 for one table with additional tables available for $5 each.

The Student Government Association says that all fees collected will benefit the Student Emergency Fund. The fund is meant to help students who experience challenges such as a broken down car, job loss, or their utilities being shut off. Sellers and vendors will keep the proceeds from their sales.

“Emergency situations can cause immediate, necessary and unexpected expenses for our students, and often times they must sacrifice their pursuit of an education to cover these expenses,” Ivy Tech Columbus SGA President Mika Mosier said. He adds, “Our mission with the Student Emergency Fund is to provide a support system to help students meet their needs so that they can continue toward their academic and career goals.”

Those interested is selling items at this event can register online at tinyurl.com/hovggzl.

Police officers from several agencies continue their search for more than 40 suspected drug dealers. Franklin Police say that 43 people, who are mostly Johnson County residents, have been charged with dealing methamphetamine or heroin after a six-month investigation. A sweep to apprehend these suspects began Tuesday morning.

Our news-gathering partners at “The Republic” are reporting that, as of 2 p.m. Tuesday, 28 of the 43 suspects had been taken into custody. The report says that a number of arrests were made in Edinburgh Tuesday morning.

The paper reports that the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Indiana State Police, Edinburgh Police Department, New Whiteland Police Department, Trafalgar Police Department and the U.S. Marshall’s Service are involved in serving the warrants.

More information at therepublic.com.

AT&T and the city of Columbus are hoping to spark development of some underutilized and undeveloped property within the city.

The company announced this morning that it had certified four sites in Columbus as a Fiber Ready locations. AT&T Indiana President Bill Soards explains what the fiber can provide.

The four locations included the former CCG Building on 15th Street, the Reeves Center on Reeves Way and two undeveloped properties at Woodside Northwest Industrial Park and Walesboro Industrial Park, both in the Walesboro area.

Jason Hester, president of the Greater Columbus Economic Development Corporation, said that having the fiber in place already is another tool for recruitment efforts.

The cost to make the four sites Fiber Ready was paid by the company, Soards said. He said there are about 20 sites working to get the designation around the state and Columbus is among the first.

The city of Columbus has revoked a local cab company’s permit after being unable to find or contact the owners.

This morning the Board of Public Works and Safety revoked the permit for Columbus Cab Co. which also suspends the cab licenses of any employees it might have.

Police Chief Jon Rohde requested the revocation, which he calls a unique situation. He explains that officers tried to conduct a periodic inspection of the taxi business but police could not find a business at the listed location, and the company’s phone numbers were disconnected.

The cab company had originally been owned by Jamie Johns, but Rohde said Johns turned over the company to a different owner, which would normally require the new owner to apply for an entirely new permit. That new owner could not be found, Rohde said.

And Rohde said that the owners had to provide proof that their cabs were insured. The last information the city had, that insurance was set to expire at the end of last year, and they have received no new information indicating it had been renewed.

However, while having no ready way for customers to contact the company, Rohde also said that he could not definitively say that the company is not still operating in the city. For example, the cabs have signs on the side and someone could have changed the phone number.

The South Central Indiana Master Gardener Association will have a tree and shrub pruning workshop from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on April 1st at Columbus North High School.

You can learn the why, when, where and how of pruning from Master Gardeners Stephani Steilberg and John Sohn, with a guest appearance by Kris Medic of the Purdue Cooperative Extension Office of Bartholomew County.

The event will be at the double flagpole by the main entrance on the north side of the building off of Home Avenue.

The rain date is April 8th.

Registration is $5 and the event is a fundraiser for the association. You can sign up at the link below.

Pruning workshop registration